Rikers Island Prison Complex

News about Rikers Island Prison Complex, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 29, 2015

Eduardo Porter Economic Scene column describes how failure of Osborne Assn test program to reduce recidivism in teenagers imprisoned at Rikers Island nevertheless amounts to success because it was funded by nation's first social impact bond; notes that taxpayers did not pay anything for program and that Goldman Sachs footed bill with $7.2 million investment; suggests social impact bonds offer promising potential of evaluating and improving delivery of government services. MORE

Jul. 24, 2015

Ackquille Pollard, known as Brooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda, is accused of having his girlfriend smuggle knife into Rikers Island, where he is being held on gang conspiracy and gun charges; pleads not guilty. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

Editorial praises proposal from de Blasio administration that would allow supervised release without bail for defendants in New York City jails accused of misdemeanors or nonviolent felonies who are deemed to pose no flight risk or danger to community; urges New York State lawmakers to reform bail system that traps New York's poor, sometimes for years, bringing it more in line with modern judicial systems across nation. MORE

Jul. 9, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces plan to reform city's bail system, allowing many low-risk, nonviolent offenders to be released under court supervision while awaiting trial; measure is aimed at reducing population at Rikers Island jail complex while helping defendants who are unable to pay bail. MORE

Jul. 6, 2015

Editorial welcomes FBI corruption inquiry related to prison escape at Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York, event which brought to light how easy it is for prisoners to acquire contraband from guards and prison workers; notes 2014 New York City Dept of Investigation report showed similar problem exists at Riker's Island; warns prison officials across country that problem is not limited to New York. MORE

Jun. 24, 2015

Editorial praises US Atty Preet Bharara for victory in class-action suit that will establish sweeping reforms under independent monitor at Rikers Island jail complex; singles out new policies governing use of force that will rein in rampant abuse that led to inmate injuries and deaths; calls on courts and Justice Dept to remain involved with issue lest prison's nightmarish problems return. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

New York City agrees to settle long-standing legal fight over abuses at Rikers Island Prison Complex, agreeing to far-reaching reforms including appointment of federal monitor, restricting use of force by guards and installation of thousands of surveillance cameras; agreement also places focus on safety of teenage inmates. MORE

Jun. 20, 2015

Op-Ed article by Florence Finkle, former deputy commissioner of New York City Correction Dept, contends class action suit brought by Legal Aid Society over excessive use of force at Rikers Island will do little to correct abuses there unless dysfunctional prison culture is addressed directly; recommends greater transparency, technological and facility upgrade, crackdown on use of excessive force among officers and use of outside parties to lead internal investigations. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

New York City officials tentatively agree to far-reaching reforms that would transform Rikers Island prison; plans include naming federal monitor to oversee jail complex, prohibitions against guards' hitting prisoners in the head and placing body cameras on guards. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Terrence Pendergrass, former captain at Rikers Island, is sentenced to five years in prison for violating civil rights of inmate Jason Echevarria, who died after swallowing soap ball under captain's supervision. MORE

Jun. 18, 2015

New York City Council meeting reflects mounting pressure to expedite criminal cases for defendants jailed at Rikers Island, to revamp bail laws and to raise age of criminal responsibility; issues have gained urgency following suicide of Kalief Browder, who killed himself after spending three years at Rikers awaiting trial; hearing is called to consider allocating $1.4 million for bail for poor defendants. MORE

Jun. 11, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that city will cut ties with Corizon Health Inc, for-profit company that provides medical care to the Rikers Island Jail complex; decision coincides with Dept of Investigation report showing company had hired medical staff with disciplinary records and serious criminal convictions; report also found evidence that missteps led to at least two inmate deaths. MORE

Jun. 11, 2015

Federal prosecutors bring charges against current Rikers Island correctional officer Byron Taylor and former officers Brian Coll and Anthony Torres in relation to 2012 beating death of inmate Ronald Spear; charge that Coll repeatedly kicked Spear in the head while he was held down by Taylor and Torres, and that officers than conspired to misrepresent incident. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

Editorial expresses outrage at case of Kalief Bowder, who committed suicide after spending three years at Rikers Island without trial; observes Bowder was arrested at age 16 for stealing backpack, charge he denied, but remained in jail largely because he could not make bail, spending two years in solitary confinement and enduring brutal assaults by staff; calls on New York State to pass bill keeping children out of adult prisons altogether. MORE

Jun. 9, 2015

Kalief Browder, whose imprisonment and two years of solitary confinement at Rikers Island drew attention to dysfunction in New York City prison system, commits suicide at his parents' home in Bronx; 22-year-old Browder reportedly had difficulty recovering from fears developed in prison and from solitary confinement. MORE

Jun. 5, 2015

New York City Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte, in job 14 months, faces jail culture at Rikers Island rife with rising violence and persistent corruption; says overhauling jail complex will be arduous process. MORE

Jun. 3, 2015

Office of Preet Bharara, United States attorney in Manhattan, is investigating financial activities of Norman Seabrook, president of New York City's correction officers' union, opening new line of inquiry in probe of Rikers Island; prosecutors are trying to determine if Seabrook has enriched himself over two decades of running union. MORE

Jun. 2, 2015

Corizon, for-profit heath care company that has been accused of neglecting and improperly treating inmates at Rikers Island jail complex, will reportedly lose its contract with New York City. MORE

May. 22, 2015

Sentencing is delayed for Terrence Pendergrass, former captain at Rikers Island, who was convicted of violating civil rights of inmate Jason Echevarria, who died in 2012. MORE

May. 20, 2015

Two female inmates at Rikers Island sue correction officer, who they accuse of repeated rape, and New York City, which they say showed indifference to pervasive culture of rape and sexual abuse in jail; name seven other guards as rapists in suit. MORE

May. 19, 2015

Federal prosecutors seek stiff prison term for former Rikers Island captain Terrence Pendergrass, who has been found guilty of letting mentally ill inmate Jason Echevarria die after he swallowed toxic soap ball in 2012. MORE

May. 16, 2015

New York City officials say Dept of Investigation inquiries have led to arrests of Rikers Island prison complex corrections Officer Patricia Howard and clinician Richard Bustamante Quon for attempting to smuggle drugs to prisoners; arrests come months after Mayor Bill de Blasio initiated campaign to crack down on smuggling of contraband into the facility. MORE

Apr. 14, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York State's Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman will introduce plan to slowly reduce inmate population at Rikers Island jail complex by freeing backlogs in state courts; proposal is acknowledgment that problems at jail have their root in criminal justice system, which many officials say has become too dependent on incarceration. MORE

Apr. 12, 2015

Michael Megginson is among a number of prisoners at Rikers Island jail complex who are mentally ill; Megginson's long history of violence and odd behavior behind bars has some convinced that he does not belong in jail, but few agree on where else he should go; New York City police officers, correction officers and even elected officials like Mayor Bill de Blasio are increasingly vocal about damage that incarceration can do to the mentally ill. MORE

Mar. 16, 2015

Investigators are struggling to determine how Sunil Poonai, newly-arrived inmate at Rikers Island, was able to obtain large kitchen knife and slash another inmate, Martin Street; incident follows one day after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio visited facility to unveil new plan aimed at curbing smuggling into city's jails. MORE

Mar. 13, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio visits Rikers jail complex for second time in three months to outline 14- point plan to curb violence among inmates and contraband smuggling; visit comes at time of mounting concern over brutality by guards at Rikers, topic the de Blasio avoids during visit. MORE

Mar. 5, 2015

Officials lock down more than half the inmates at New York City's Rikers Island prison for 34 consecutive hours as part of push to curb surging gang violence at facility; unusual measure indicates difficulty officials face in reforming jail despite extensive commitment from administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio. MORE

Feb. 24, 2015

Editorial expresses dismay that 62 cases of severe inmate abuse by correction officers at New York City's Rikers Island prison complex have taken place during de Blasio administration, even as federal and city officials have been concentrating on addressing the problem; calls for immediate action from Mayor Bill de Blasio and correction commissioner Joseph Ponte to address continuing horrors at Rikers Island. MORE

Feb. 22, 2015

Review of official documents reveals that there have been 62 cases in which inmates at Rikers Island were seriously injured by correction officers between August 2014 and January 2015; period overlaps with time when New York City and federal officials have focused on issue, and suggests culture of violence continues despite scrutiny and additional resources allocated by Mayor Bill de Blasio. MORE

Feb. 11, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio proposes increasing Correction Department budget by $54 million to reduce use of force by guards, update hiring process and improve programs for juvenile inmates; move, which has been praised by inmate advocates and department critics, follows months of scrutiny by news media and city and federal investigators into conditions at Rikers Island. MORE

Jan. 31, 2015

Editorial asserts that long delays in disciplining Rikers Island prison guards charged with brutality and other offenses points to need for major reform of Correction Department's disciplinary process; notes that it took three years to dismiss captain and five guards accused of savagely beating mentally ill inmate Robert Hinton; applauds dismissal, rather than suspension, of officers and urges further changes. MORE

Jan. 23, 2015

New York State Commission of Correction concludes that gross incompetence by medical personnel and correction officers caused death of mentally ill inmate Bradley Ballard at Rikers Island in 2013; commission calls for Justice Dept to investigate possible human rights violations. MORE

Jan. 22, 2015

New York City Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte fires Captain Budnarine Behari and five subordinate Rikers Island guards who had hogtied and savagely beat inmate Robert Hinton in April 2012; move is latest evidence that growing pressure from federal and city officials may be having an impact on rampant violence at prison. MORE

Jan. 17, 2015

Editorial deplores revelations from New York City Department of Investigation study showing major lapses in Department of Correction's screening process for jail guards; notes that many guards at Rikers Island and other prisons had criminal backgrounds, gang affiliations or other histories that should have disqualified them from holding job; holds that horrific abuses at Rikers cannot be addressed until reforms are put in place. MORE

Jan. 15, 2015

Report by New York City Dept of Investigation finds that over one third of Correction Dept's recently hired officers should have been disqualified based on glaring background issues; shows many had gang affiliations, criminal histories, psychological problems or relatives and friends among inmates; finds serious shortcomings in screening process; Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte plans to implement stricter employment standards. MORE

Jan. 14, 2015

New York City officials reach agreement on plan to eliminate use of solitary confinement for inmates 21 and younger at Rikers Island, putting jail complex at head of national jail reform movement; move, effective January 2016, is prominent change by administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio in dealing with young disruptive inmates. MORE

Jan. 3, 2015

Mentally ill inmate Fabian Cruz is found dead inside his cell in Rikers Island Prison with bedsheet wrapped around his neck; suicide highlights dysfunction that continues to pervade the jail even as New York City officials work to fix it; Justice Department has filed lawsuit against the city for widespread abuse and neglect of inmates. MORE

Jan. 2, 2015

Editorial warns federal oversight may be necessary for enforcement of reforms of Rikers Island jail complex; holds bullying and underhanded tactics of Norman Seabrook, president of correction officers' union, shows he may well block Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposed reforms; says Seabrook has supported unacceptable status quo for long time and has been able to amass enormous power. MORE

Dec. 25, 2014

Lawyers representing Rikers Island inmates in class action suit will meet with New York City's Law Department for three consecutive days of negotiations; judge grants request by United States attorney in Manhattan to join suit; talks will focus on issues including treatment of adolescent inmates and use of force by guards. MORE

Dec. 20, 2014

Editorial expresses optimism that decision by the Justice Department to join pending class-action lawsuit against New York City Corrections Department will speed up Rikers Island reforms and punish those guards who have contributed to violence at prison. MORE

Dec. 19, 2014

United States Atty in Manhattan Preet Bharara joins class-action lawsuit against New York City over civil rights violations and brutality at Rikers Island jail complex; decision comes in wake of his office issuing report that cited pervasive and 'deep-seated culture of violence' aimed at adolescent inmates. MORE

Dec. 19, 2014

Jim Dwyer About New York column remarks on political influence of Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association union, which has gotten bill passed giving Queens, rather than Bronx, district attorney jurisdiction over Rikers Island prison complex; union has given significant amount of money to state elected officials and campaign committees of both parties. MORE

Dec. 18, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio visits troubled Rikers Island jail complex for first time since taking office; notes fulfillment of pledge to end solitary confinement for juveniles as part of continuing reforms at facility. MORE

Dec. 18, 2014

Rikers Island correction officer Terrence Pendergrass is found guilty of violating the constitutional rights of a prisoner for refusing to seek medical attention for Rikers Island inmate Jason Echevarria, who was found dead in his cell; Pendergrass faces up to 10 years in federal prison. MORE

Dec. 17, 2014

Closing arguments are heard and jury begins deliberation in Federal District Court trial of former Rikers Island captain Terrence Pendergrass in death of mentally ill inmate Jason Echevarria; Pendergrass is accused of depriving Echevarria of medical attention after he had swallowed a toxic substance; if convicted on civil rights charge, Pendergrass faces potential 10-year sentence. MORE

Dec. 15, 2014

Norman Seabrook, powerful president of Correction Officers' Benevolent Assn union, has exerted enormous control over Correction Dept during his two-decade tenure; investigation by New York Times reveals that Seabrook's influence has fed culture of corruption and violence at Rikers Island jail complex, even as he protected union members, and has stalled attempted reforms. MORE

Dec. 10, 2014

Terrence Pendergrass, Rikers Island correction officer who is on trial for violating civil rights of prisoner Jason Echevarria by denying him medical attention, disputes prosecutor's account of Echevarria's death. MORE

Dec. 9, 2014

Carol Lackner, correction officer on duty when homeless veteran Jerome Murdough died at Rikers Island, is charged with lying on jail records; prosecutors say Lackner falsely claimed to have checked on Murdough that night; Lackner is so far the only person to face criminal charges in Murdough's death. MORE

Nov. 29, 2014

Editorial welcomes New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's plans for reforms at Rikers Island jail complex, where violence and corruption has proliferated; warns, however, that vigilance is needed to ensure that the prison's old, abusive system is replaced by more compassionate one. MORE